Apparatus for evaporating materials



Jan. 7, 1964 R G, HERB 3,117,210

APPARATUS FOR EVAPORATING MATERIALS JNVENTOR. 'RAYMOND 6. HERB "www A TTORNEVS Jan. 7, 1964 R. s. HERB 3,117,210

APPARATUS FOR EVAPORATINGMATERIALS Filed July 15, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mlm 92/ JVENTOR.

RAYMOND 6. HERB g WM/Zf-M A T TORN VS Jan. 7, 1964 Filed July R. G. HERB APPARATUS FOR EVAPORATING MATERIALS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Raum/N6 V PUMP f\ ,//40 59 65 .67

JMJ

INVENTOR.

interior so it must contract a plurality of surfaces after melting or evaporating before `it can escape from the core surface.

The heat shield cup 2d is supported by a pair of outwardly extending spring arms 32 attached at their inner ends to diametrically opposed locations on the outer sleeve, and at their respective outer ends to insulators mounted on a lower ring 36 attached to three (only two of which are shown) equiangularly spaced vertical strips 37 secured by screws 38 at their lower ends to the interior of the pump housing.

An electrical lead 4i) is connected at its lower end to one of the insulators Tsi-t and at its upper end to an insulator 42, mounted on an upper ring M1 secured to the upper ends of the strips 36. A spring contact lo is connected to the electrical lead du at the insulator fr?. and makes electrical contact with the lower end of a lirst terminal 43 sealed by insulating bushing through the top of the pump. The terminal d@ is connected through a first current limiter Si to the positive side ot a rst DC. voltage source 52. having its negative terminal grounded.

A hollow cylindrical `grid S4 having an upper circular wire brace 56 connected by laterally spaced vertical wires SS to a lower circular wire brace 6d is mounted above the evaporator and connected by a heavy supporting wire 62 to an insulating bushing 63 on the upper ring. rFhe wire 62 is connected at the insulating bushing 63 to a spring contact 6d which bears against the lower end of a second terminal 66 sealed by an insulating bushing 68 `through `the top of the pump. The terminal do is connected through a second current lirniter to the positive side of a second D.C. voltage source '70 having its negative terminal grounded.

A thermionic grid larnent 7i is disposed between the evaporator and the lower end of the `grid and is connected by suitable leads 72 and insulating bushings (not shown) through the top of the pump in a circuit as shown schematically in FlG. 4.

An elongated vertical heater lament 74 is coaxially disposed through the evaporator, and connected through suitable leads 75 and insulating bushings (not shown) in the top of the pump in a circuit as shown schematically in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 4, the grid 54 is connected through the second current limiter 69 to the positive terminal on the second DC. source 7i?, the negative terminal of which is grounded. A double throw, double pole switch 55 is employed to `connect the evaporator le to a positive voltage source and the heater lament 7d to ground in one position and to connect the evaporator to ground and the filament 74- to a negative potential in another position as will be more fully described. The switch S includes moving contacts 55A and 55B and stationary contacts 55C, 55D, 55E and SSP. With the moving contacts 55A and 55B connected to the stationary contacts 55C and S'SE the evaporator i@ is connected through the iirst current limiter Si to the positive terminal of the iirst DC. source 52, the negative terminal of which is grounded. The heater iilament '74E- is grounded when the movable contact 55B is engaged `with the stationary contact SSE. The pump housing i2 is also connected to ground as shown. The heater filament '74 is supplied heating current from a rst transformer 76. The grid lament 723. receives heating current from a second transformer 7S, `and is connected to the positive terminal of a third DC. voltage source 79, which has its negative terminal grounded. The voltage of the third source may vary from a few volts to a few hundred volts, depending on the geometry of the pump components. The purpose of the third source is to avoid capture of electrons from the grid lament by surfaces at ground potential.

In some instances, the pump is easier to start with the evaporator l@ grounded and a negative voltage 'nnpressed on the Iheater filament 7d. This may be done by changing the position of the switch 55 so that the movable contacts 55A and 55B engage the stationary contacts 55D and SSP, respectively.

With the pump shown in FEGS. 1 through 4, the system is started most easily by placing a `furnace 57 around the pump housing 112. and outgassing the pump at about 300 C. while a roughing pump 59 is operated and con nected through a valve 65 to the lower end of the pump housing as shown in FIG. 11. The furnace 57 includes two heating elements 57A and 57B which are connected to a source of energizing potential 57C. The conduit 67 as shown in FlG. l1 is suitably coupled to the lower end of the pump housing l2 for connection to the chamber to be evacuated by the pump. Evaporator power is turned on during the latter stages `or the bake out. The electrons `from the heater iilament bombard the Cartridge in the evaporator, raising the temperature sufficiently to cause `the titanium to melt and evaporate. On the initial heating, the titanium gives up large quantities of extraneous gas which promptly diuse through the interconnected internal channels of the evaporator core and escape from the core surface. The melted titanium iiows over the surfaces of the tungsten strands, and apparently is evaporated, condensed, and re-evaporated `many times betere espacing from the core. This provides `for ya thorough outgassing and purification of the titanium before it finally escapes from the cartridge in a inely atomized state. When a pressure of about 10*3 mm. of Hg is obtained, the furnace is removed and the roughing pump cut off 'from the system by closing the aforementioned valve. The grid and its filament are raised to the proper voltages, such as those indicated in FIGS. l and 4. The electrons from the grid iilament are directed into the space enclosed by the grid 54, where some of them collide with gas molecules to produce ionization or dissociation of the gas molecules to be pumped.

The mechanism involved in the removal of gas by the evaporation of a getter-ing material such as titanium is discussed in detail in my US. Patent 2,850,225, as are the various details for optimum pump geometry starting procedure, etc. Eriey, however, the pumping mechanism involved in the removal of gas by tne gettering material depends upon the type of getter evaporated and the kinds of gases present in the pumping system. Chemical combination, adsorption, absorption, gas-metal solutions, and solutions of .compounds or" the gas in the gettering material are possible means of initially trapping gas which is subsequently buried under new material condensing on the interior sur-tace of the pump housing. Since the attraction between the gas molecules and a freshly condensed active surface of the getter' is usually insufiicient to trap ail types of gas molecules until they are securely buried by new getter material, the molecules are preferably ionized or dissociated by electron bombardment inside the grid. To improve the trapping action further, the relatively high electric field maintained between the grid and the interior surface of the pump housing drives the gaseous ions into the active surface sufficiently deep to prevent escape before burial by new getter condensing on the surface.

Any one of a number of materials or alloys may serve as the gettering material in the evaporator of this invention. Titanium, zirconium, uranium and other metals particularly in groups lV and V of the periodic table, for example, can be employed. Aluminum, alkaline earth metals, and the alkali metals are other materials which can be used in the evaporator of this invention. Titanium is a preferred gettcring material because it provides a good active surface and terms stable soiids with very low vapor pressures.

The core material need not be wire, and can be almost any material which is inert and has a higher melting point than the material to be evaporated. Metals such as molybdenum and alloys such as tantaloy can be used in addition to tungsten with gettering material such as titamum.

A fruidamental requirement of the evaporator is that the core and evaporable material be intermeshed in a compact array. Such an arrangement has a minimum amount of heat loss by radiation and makes it possible to have a relatively large amount of evaporable material at a temperature adequate for evaporation without great power consumption, and thus the evaporable material lasts a long time.

Another form of the evaporator is shown in FlG. 5, in which the standard wire is tightly wound to form a solid cylinder or cartridge 9d which is connected to the positive terminal of a DC. voltage source 92 having the negative terminal grounded. A thermionic heater lilament he surrounds and is spaced from the cartridge 9d. Heating current is supplied to the grounded iilament through a transformer' 9d. The use of the evaporator shown in FIG. 5 is similar to that described with respect to the apparatus shown in FIGS. l through 4.

Another evaporator is shown in FlG. 6, and includes stranded wire wound to form a solid cylindrical cartridge 97 mounted in a compactly wound wire filament 9S spaced slightly from the cartridge. The cartridge and iilament are surrounded by a heat shield 99 which is similar to that shown in FIG. l, except that the heat shield 99 includes a bottom lll@ made up of three layers ld?. each spaced from the other to decrease heat loss by conductance. The filament 9d is supplied heating power from a transformer lilla". With the arrangement in FlG. 6, heating of the cartridge is by radiation.

The evaporator shown in FlG. 7 includes a compact cylindrical cartridge ldd wound from stranded wire as previously described, and having a central bore ldd. The cartridge is disposed in a heat shield cup ll@ which is closed at its bottom. A hairpin thermionic heater lilament lll is disposed inside the cylindrical cartridge and supplied power from a transformer M2. A battery ftll3 is connected to the filament and cartridge through the heat shield cup to make the cartridge positive with respect to the filament and thus aid the heating of the cartridge by electron bombardment.

With the evaporator shown in FlG. 7, as with that shown in FlG. 6, the escape of the evaporated material is limited to the open end of the heat shield and, thus, the evaporated material is confined to a more localized area. This is an advantage when the evaporator is located as shown in FiG. l below the grid and it is preferable to have as much evaporated material as possible directed into the grid area where it is most effective in pumping.

The evaporator shown in FIG. 8 includes a compact cylindrical cartridge l2@ wound from stranded Wire as previously described. The cartridge is disposed in an inverted heat shield cup so that the cup is closed at its top and open at its bottom. T he cartridge makes a, snug it in the cup, is held in by inwardly extending projections l2?) formed on thc interior of the cup. A circular wire heater filament l2@ is disposed -below the evaporator and spaced slightly from it. rlhe filament is supplied power from a transformer 125 and is biased negative with respect to the evaporator by battery 1218.

With the evaporator shown in FlG. 8, as with those shown in FlGS. 6 and 7, the escape ot the evaporated material is limited to the open end or the heat shield. The filament is disposed outside the evaporator, and the exposed end of the cylindrical cartridge is heated by electron bombardment. An Jadvantage of the evaporator shown in FlG. 8 is that for a given amount of stored evaporable material, the radiating area is somewhat less than in other forms, thereby permitting storage of a larger supply of evaporablc material, and better control on rate of evaporation. Moreover, filament emission is easier to control, making it more feasible to operate with the iilament emission space-charge limited, and permitting the elimination of power control devices for filament current.

The evaporator shown in FIG. 9 is identical to that o'i FIG. 8, except that a compact cylindrical cartridge ld wound from stranded wire as previously described, includes a small conical opening i322 in its lower end, which is sometimes helpful in control of evaporation rates.

The evaporator shown in FIG. l0 includes a compact cylindrical cartridge i3d;- wound from stranded wire as previously described and disposed in an upright heat shield cup lilo open at its top. A circular wire iilament 138 is disposed above the upper end of the cartridge and supplied heating power from a transformer Mtl. The filament is biased negative with respect to the cartridge by battery 142. The evaporator shown in FG. l0 is similar to that of the previously described evaporators, in that the cartridge is heated by electron bombardment from the lilament. However, the evaporator of FiG. l0 includes a guide sleeve ldd disposed above the ilarnent and connected to a feeding mechanism ldd, which may be of conventional type, such as is disclosed in my US. Patent 2,850,225. A wire Md of the material to be evaporated is wrapped on a rotatable supply spool 5.47 on the feeding mechanism. The wire 146 is disposed in the guide sleeve and adapted to be pushed by the feeding mechanism through the central portion of the iilament T133 toward the top surface of the cartridge. Thus, when the supply ol evaporable material in the cartridge runs low, the wire of fresh material to be evaporated is advanced toward the cartridge so that the fresh evaporable material is melted and flows down into the interconnected channels or' the cartridge. Thus, with the evaporator of IlG. l0 a pump or evaporator need not be cooled and open to atmospheric pressure to permit the replacement of a cartridge. Instead, the cartridge is recharged while the pump or evaporator is maintained at or near operating conditions.

Although it is ordinarily desirable to use heat shields to minimize power required in operating the evaporator, the shields can be omitted in some arrangements in which the consequent heat loss is permissible.

Operating pumps with the evaporators built in accordance with this invention has produced higher pumping speeds, especially in the low pressure range, say below l06 mm. Hg. Moreover, the gettering material is supplied without using complex mechanical feeders requiring moving parts. The evaporator of this invention also permits a more accurate control of the evaporation rate of the evaporable material, and the rate of evaporation is more uniform, as is the distribution of the evaporated material. ln addition, the evaporated material seems to be purer and more nearly atomic, resulting in better tering action. A final but important advantage is that there is a better pre-degassing of all ol the material to be evaporated when it is initially heated, so that subsequent evaporation of the material is virtually irec of extraneous gas. All of the foregoing advantages apply to evaporative coating as well as pumping by gettering action.

l'. claim:

l. An evaporator comprising a supporting core having a plurality of interconnected internal channels opening out of the core surface, a material to be evaporated disposed in the channels so that a major portieri of the material is disposed in the core interior, the material to be evaporated having lower melting and evaporating temperatures than the material of the core, and means for heating the evaporator to cause the material to be evaporated to melt and .dow on the core material and to cause the vaporized material to Contact a plurality of surfaces prior to escape from the core.

2. An evaporator comprising a supporting core having an opening in its central portion and a plurality of interconnected internal channels opening out of the core surface, a material to be evaporated disposed in the channels so that a maior portion of the material is disposed in the a gf) L- core interior, the material to bc evaporated having a lower melting and evaporating temperature than the material of the core, and means for heating the evaporator to cause the material to be evaporated to melt and llow on the core material and to cause the vaporized material to contact a plurality of surfaces prior to escape from the core.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the heating means is disposed in the opening in the core.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which the heating means is spaced from the core.

5. An evaporator comprising a supporting core having a plurality of interconnected internal channels opening out of the core surface, a material to be evaporated disposed in the channels so that a major portion of the material is disposed in the core interior, the material to be evaporated having a lower melting and evaporating temperature than the material oi the core, a heater spaced from the core to heat the core and cause the material to be evaporated to melt and llo-w on the core material and to cause the vaporized material to Contact a plurality of suraces prior to escape from the core, and means for making the core electrically positive with respect to the heater.

V6. An evaporator comprising a supporting core having a plurality of interconnected internal channels opening out of the core surface, titanium disposed in the channels so that a major portion ot the titanium is disposed in the core interior, the titanium having lower melting and evaporating temperatures than the core, and means for heating the titanium to cause it to melt, ilow on the core material, evaporate and contact a plurality of surfaces prior to escape from the core.

7. An evaporator comprising a stranded material looped around itself to form between adjacent loops a plurality of interconnected internal channels opening out of the surface of the looped stranded material, atleast one strand being composed of a material to be evaporated and at least one other strand being composed or" a material having a higher melting point than the material to be evaporated, and means for heating the stranded material to vaporize the material to be evaporated.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 in which the material to be evaporated is titanium.

9. An evaporator comprising a supporting core having a plurality of interconnected internal channels opening out of the core surface, a material to be evaporated disposed in the channels so that a major portion of the niaterial is disposed in the core interior, the material to be evaporated having a lower melting and evaporating temperature than the material of the core, means for heating the evaporator to cause the material to be evaporated to melt and llow on the core material and to cause the vaporized material to contact a plurality of surfaces prior to escape from the core and a heat shield disposed around and spaced from the core.

10. An evaporator comprising a supporting core having a plurality of interconnected internal channels opening out of the core surface, a material to be evaporated disposed in the channels so that a major portion of the material is disposed in the core interior, the material to be evaporated having a lower melting and evaporating temperature than the material of the core, means for heating the evaporator to cause the material to be evaporated to melt and llow on the core material and to cause :the vaporized material to contact a plurality of surfaces prior to escape from the core and a plurality of concentric sleeves spaced from each other and disposed around .and spaced from the core.

l1. An evaporator comprising a supporting core having a plurality of interconnected internal channels opening out of the core surface, a material to 'oe evaporated disposed inthe channels :so that a major portion oi the material Sis disposed in tlg@ core interior whereby material heated in the core contacts a plurality of surfaces prior to escape from the core, the material to be evaporated having lower melting and evaporating temperatures than thc material of the core, heat shield means disposed around the core, and heating means disposed below and adjacent the core, the core in the vicinity ol the heating means being uncovered by the heat shield means.

12. An evaporator comprising a supporting core having an opening in its central portion and a plurality of interconnected internal channels opening out of the core surface, a material to he evaporated disposed in the channels so that a major portion of the material is disposed in the core interior whereby material heated in the core contacts a plurality of surfaces prior to escape from the core, the material to be evaporated having lower melting and evaporating temperatures than the material of the core and heating means disposed below the evaporator adjacent the opening.

13. An evaporator comprising a supporting core having a plurality of interconnected internal channels oponing out of the core surface, a material to be evaporated disposed in the channels so that a major portion of the material is disposed in the core interior whereby material heated in the core contacts a plurality of surfaces prior to escape from the core, the material to be evaporated having lower melting and evaporating temperatures than the material ot the core, means for heating the core, a supply of fresh material to be evaporated spaced from the core, and means for feeding fresh material toward the core so the material is melted and lows in the interconnected channels ot the core.

14. An evaporator comprising a supporting core having a plurality of interconnected internal channels opening out of the core surface, a material to be evaporated disposed in the channels so that a major portion of the material is disposed in the core interior, the core and the material to be evaporated being arranged so that the core and the material to be evaporated are intermeshed in a compact array, the material to be evaporated having a lower melting and evaporating temperature than the material of the core, and means for heating the evaporator to cause the material to be evaporated to melt and ilow on the core material and to cause the evaporated material to Contact a plurality of surfaces prior to escape from the core.

15. The combination as defined in claim 14 wherein the supporting core is formed by a plurality of strands of the core material, the material to be evaporated is formed by a plurality of strands of the material to be evaporated, the strands of the core material being interwound with the strands of the material to be evaporated and the strands of the core material being of less diameter than the strands of the material to be evaporated.

16. An evaporator comprising a supporting core and a material to be evaporated stranded together to provide a plurality of interconnected internal channels opening out of the surface of the stranded material, a major portion of the material to be evaporated being disposed in the interior of the stranded material, the material to be evaporated having a lower melting and evaporating te n.- perature than the material of the core, and means for heating the evaporator to cause the material to be evaporated to melt and low on the core material and to cause the evaporated material to contact a plurality of surfaces prior o escape from the core.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNlTEl) STATES PATENTS 1,557,092 Rodman Oct. 13, 1925 2,074,281 Sommer Mar, 16, 1937 2,100,845 Alexander Nov. 23, 1937 2,103,623 Kott Dec. 28, 1937 @ther references on following page) 9 UNITED STATES PATENTS Alexander et al Apr. 11, 1939 Reynolds Nov. 18, 1947 Barr Aug. 24, 1948 Beers May 10, 1949 Osterberg Aug. 16, 1949 Rothstein Nov. 1, 1949 Lewis et al Oct. 31, 1950 Alexander Nov. 2, 1954 Weber Aug. 7, 1956 Lemaigre-Voreaux I une 4, 1957 Palmer Aug. 27, 1957 Moles Nov. 5, 1957 l@ Leferson June 3, 1958 Hirsh Dec. 23, 1958 Reiehelf Aug. 11, 1959 Gudmundsen et a1 Sept. l, 1959 Fields et al Nov. 24, 1959 Waer Nov. 15, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Feb. 2, 1955 Germany Dec. 6, 1956 OTHER REFERENCES Holland: Vacuum Deposition of Thin Films, 1956 article Multi-Strand Filaments, page 117.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No., 3II721O January 7V 1964 Raymond G. Herb It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column ly lines 58 and 591 strike out "to be evaporated to melt and flow over the core` materal"; Column 2 line 36V for "the", first occurrenceV read use column 37 line lv for "contract" read Contact -f-g column-4lv line 26 for "espacing" read escaping ee; column 5m linelQl for "standard" read stranded Signed and sealed this 23rd day of June 1964;

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARDl J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents Y Attesting Officer UNITED STATES PATENT oEEICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent Noo` 3ll72l0 y January 717 1964 Raymond G. Herb It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should vread as corrected below.

Column I9 lines 58 and 59z strike out "to be evaporated to melt and flow over the core. mater ia1" Column 2U line 361,

for "the", first oecurrence read use mi; columny 3' line lY for "contract" read Contact column-4L, line 26X1 for" "espacing" read escaping -ecolumn .5V line I12 for l nstandard" read stranded Signed and sealed this 23rd day of June 1964;

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD4 J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

1. AN EVAPORATOR COMPRISING A SUPPORTIN CORE HAVING A PLURALITY OF INTERCONNECTED INTERNAL CHANNELS OPENING OUT OF THE CORE SURFACE, A MATERIAL TO BE EVAPORATED DISPOSED IN THE CHANNELS SO THAT A MAJOR PORTION OF THE MATERIAL IS DISPOSED IN THE CORE INTERIOR, THE MATERIAL TO BE EVAPORATED HAVING LOWER MELTING AND EVAPORATING TEMPERATURES THAN THE MATERIAL OF THE CORE, AND MEANS FOR HEATING THE EVAPORATOR TO CAUSE THE MATERIAL TO BE EVAPORATED TO MELT AND FLOW ON THE CORE MATERIAL AND TO CAUSE THE VAPORIZED MATERIAL TO CONTACT A PLURALITY OF SURFACES PRIOR TO ESCAPE FROM THE CORE. 